Google Chrome Operating System

[Jordy]

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html

Google have announced a Netbook OS which only has a browser, Google Chrome. The OS is said to be very secure and only run the Google browser, Google Chrome. It's meant to differ from the Android OS but both are using the Linux Kernel.


It's been an exciting nine months since we launched the Google Chrome browser (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/fresh-take-on-browser.html). Already, over 30 million people use it regularly. We designed Google (http://www.google.com/chrome)Chrome (http://www.google.com/chrome) for people who live on the web — searching for information, checking email, catching up on the news, shopping or just staying in touch with friends. However, the operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web. So today, we're announcing a new project that's a natural extension of Google Chrome — the Google Chrome Operating System. It's our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be.

Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we're already talking to partners about the project, and we'll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.I think this is the perfect OS for Netbooks at last, Windows 7 Starter edition for Netbooks is just too bulky for Netbook use IMO and it'll cost a lot as well. For quite a while now you've been able to do everything within the browser, email, IM, office suites etc so I can see this working.

Like most Linux distro's it'll be free btw :)

[The Professor]

I think they should spend their time optimising android for netbooks, people seem to be porting it over to netbooks anyway so theres clearly demand there. Previous linux flavoured netbooks haven't sold too well though and are almost non-existant now.

[Barmi]

I think they should spend their time optimising android for netbooks, people seem to be porting it over to netbooks anyway so theres clearly demand there. Previous linux flavoured netbooks haven't sold too well though and are almost non-existant now.
But current Linux distros focus on the desktop-centric approach of most current operating systems... so they lose out to the mainstream ones. Google is working upwards with a web-centric approach.

I do believe this could be another success for Google. They are targeting a market niche which is currently filled by XP. As XP dies away, Chrome OS is an ideal lightweight substitute. It's not a whole new experience – most people know of Google, and are likely to trust it's products... even if they have a very limited computing experience.

As someone put it on another popular technology blog: Microsoft are having difficulty with the likes of HP and Dell because they need to try to give as low prices as possible to get Windows on netbooks (which are low cost anyway) while still showing the value in buying the retail versions of their software. If Google bounces in here, it becomes a great deal cheaper for OEMs, and Microsoft could start losing a hold of the netbook market. Google can then move from that niche if they so wish.

[Agnostic Bear]

That's it, Linux distros are over everybody go home.

Haha I bet Ubuntu, Windows and OS X are ******** themselves.

[Patt]

*cough (http://www.habboxforum.com/blog.php?b=928)

[Wootzeh]

no-one uses blogs -cough-

[The Professor]

But current Linux distros focus on the desktop-centric approach of most current operating systems... so they lose out to the mainstream ones. Google is working upwards with a web-centric approach.

Yes good point, maybe that was a bad comment to make in this context. But I still believe they should focus on android because the OS is so tied into google's web applications anyway it makes the chrome OS a bit redundant. Its lightweight (since it was originally designed to run on phones) and already has the email client built into parts of the OS with notifications and contact synching and all that. All they have to do is whack a button for google docs and their other apps on there and they essentially have what they're saying the chome OS would be.

[Barmi]

Yes good point, maybe that was a bad comment to make in this context. But I still believe they should focus on android because the OS is so tied into google's web applications anyway it makes the chrome OS a bit redundant. Its lightweight (since it was originally designed to run on phones) and already has the email client built into parts of the OS with notifications and contact synching and all that. All they have to do is whack a button for google docs and their other apps on there and they essentially have what they're saying the chome OS would be.
But why develop something designed for another platform when they are prepared to create something new designed specifically for a different platform? I think the idea is that web applications will be pretty much integrated, like Android (and more clearly in WebOS).

If they are trying to go with the Chrome OS the way Palm went with WebOS, I'm happy.

[Blinger1]

no-one uses blogs -cough-
we have a blogging system!?

[Mentor]

If you ever go out of wireless range your laptop would be useless. Having locally running apps and local hdd storage definalty has advantages. Wouldnt switch to a browser only o/s until wireless internet becomes universal and hopefully free :p

[Jordy]

If you ever go out of wireless range your laptop would be useless. Having locally running apps and local hdd storage definalty has advantages. Wouldnt switch to a browser only o/s until wireless internet becomes universal and hopefully free :pIt'll no doubt use Google Gears which means that you can access most the google services without needing an internet connection as it downloads them all. Google Chrome integrates this feature and there's add-ons to Firefox for this.

[Mentor]

It'll no doubt use Google Gears which means that you can access most the google services without needing an internet connection as it downloads them all. Google Chrome integrates this feature and there's add-ons to Firefox for this.
I dunno, the workoffline stuffs been pretty hit and miss for me. Gears is good but i'd still rather stick to a standard program where possible. Plus gears only limits your pcs ability to a basic office suite so your still pretty limited by the lack of a web connection.

[Tomm]

Also your forgetting that a webservice has outages so you would have no or limited pc functionality during this outage.

[Jordy]

Also your forgetting that a webservice has outages so you would have no or limited pc functionality during this outage.True but Google's track record is incredibly good, they've had 2 very small outages this year (close together) which are the only one's in Gmail's 5 years so it seems pretty good. They were only for about 1 hour bare in mind, you would still have some processing power without Google anyway, just nothing considerable.

[Mentor]

True but Google's track record is incredibly good, they've had 2 very small outages this year (close together) which are the only one's in Gmail's 5 years so it seems pretty good. They were only for about 1 hour bare in mind, you would still have some processing power without Google anyway, just nothing considerable.
Gotta keep in mind ISP's have outages too, as do all the servers, routers, repeters, hubs and whatever else is involved in the middle.

[The Professor]

Yeah thats true. For this to work we need to get a technology into widespread use pretty quickly (wimax, LTE, HSDPA etc) and make it affordable. That coupled with a web optiised OS and a netbook will be killer. Hopping between wifi hotspots or not having internet at all shouldn't be an option in a day and age where the technology is there.